TASKMAN  I'm trying to get everything done. Give me some time...  
(Version 1.5.3)

OKIEHABU  NetBarrier X3 v10.3.7

NetBarrier provides basic protection in 'Client only' mode; but I learned the hard way that the latter setting cannot prevent IGMP packets from accessing certain ports — one apparently being

47807, which is used by iCalendar for network access.

It was also used by some bad guys recently to install a trojan in my G5. I know this because I ran a port scan on 127.0.0.1 using the OS X Network Utility, and 47807 came up open.

After finally wising up as to how they were getting to me, I formatted the drive and then began writing rulesets in NetBarrier's 'Customized' view. Now the unauthorized penetrations have stopped.

Advising others of rulesets which may or may not be appropriate for their specific situation is risky business; yet for people like me who use dialup and are not affiliated with any network — i.e., just plain 'ol home users — there are a couple of hard and fast rules that'll save your bacon.

They are:

1. [TCP In] (Connected Services) (Block: Port Range 1~ 65535) (Try to write 0 ~ 65535. . . see if NB will accept it. Hackers are commonly soliciting Port 0; although so far NB has blocked all Port zero attacks to my machine while set to block port range 1 ~ 65535).

2. [IGMP In] (Any type) —————————— (Block)

3. [ICMP In] (Any type) —————————— (Block)

4. [UDP In] (mDNS-Multicast/SLP ———— (Allow: mDNS P: 5353; SLP P: 427) (Using 2-part rule)

5&6. [NTP In/Out] (From Add ruleset) (Allow P:123)

Note: I believe NTP (Network Time Protocol) may be exploitable. So it's a good idea to define the parameters for that protocol in a hard and fast rule, designating Port 123, which is the standard NTP port. That will prevent spoofing of NTP through other ports to "reset your clock, haha."

7&8. [DNS In/Out] (From Add ruleset) (Allow P:53)

9. [All Remaining Protocols] (UDP In) (Block: Port range 1 ~ 65535)

Now they can't use IGMP to hack my apps. . . nor are they able to use ICMP to map an attack.

Most inbound hits these days are UDP-based, directed to P: 1026 or 1027. Are you logging UDP hits to those ports? YOU SHOULD BE! Rule # 9 stops 'em in their tracks.

You should also determine the addresses of YOUR primary and secondary DNS servers from the ISP and enter them into your network folder under the TCP/IP tab (OS X). Allowing your computer to resolve addresses by the 'seat of the pants' method — searching for the best DNS, may be hazardous.

Do you completely trust every domain server on the spine?

NetBarrier is a good quality product that unfortunately is in the hands of some very greedy people. It's the same old story.

That's why I stopped eating french fries.

Guess some things just never change. . .  
(Version 10.4.1)

MAXIPEG  Sorry, but your comment is absolutely useless, I don't know what you want more. GC works for tons of graphic formats and with each update you get a few more, it's only a matter of time. The software is quite powerful but very intuitive (at least for mac users) so forget your complaint about the pricing of the manual because nobody really needs it. Given the power of this piece of software, the price is ridiculously low and you get free updates virtually for years  
(Version 5.8.2)

MIXEL  How many apps will convert something with multiple layers into something else with multiple layers anyway?

An app isn't garbage just because it doesn't do what one user wants it to, nor is it garbage if someone can't work out how to use it. I've never had problems with GC's usability.  
(Version 5.8.2)

SMTIPS  Hmmm...appears to me you can download GC with a manual. The "pay" manual you speak of is a much more indepth manual.

You should look at Lemkesoft's links again.

GC is one program that is WELL worth paying for. If all you want is converting one format to another, then fine go with some free program. If you want power, batch conversion, far too many features and abilities to list, AND you have the intelligence to learn a program's capabilities, then GC is the best priced, most feature-rich program you will find, short of spending many hundreds for an app like Photoshop. I've heard people say many many times that they don't know how to use GC, BUT they never even took 10 minutes to explore its capabilities. That is quite...narrow-minded.  
(Version 5.8.2)

FOULGER  If Piako Doesn't like it - well he can go buy Photoshop. In any case one persons minor dislikes are no excuse for inflammatory language and bad manners.  
(Version 5.8.2)

BILLCOLE  On both of its main points this "review" is flawed:

1. The 210-page User's Guide is downloadable for free from the same page as the software itself. You can either get just one language or the distribution .dmg with all 34MB of docs in many languages.

2. The GIMP developers have not seen fit to specify XCF in any way other than their software's source code, and don't encourage its use as a portable format. That any other program supports XCF import to any degree is somewhat surprising, and failing to support all sorts of an evolving undocumented format is really impossible.   
(Version 5.8.2)

CORPSECORPS  Are you certain?

This is the only software i've used for quite a long time and i distinctly remember ripping at least one arccos disc successfully.  
(Version 2.6.6)